Charlton Athletic is the religion of some and the enjoyment of others.Few predicted that the Championship would be easy. It has not been, we are now in our third season and our fourth will be a major test for the club, especially Katrien Miere and Roland Duchatalet. The team will need to be strengthened to challenge at least for a play off place, with an investment in players.

Sunday, 30 August 2009

Parkie parking here?

Five games, five wins and we are top of the league, even above the mighty Leeds who share a 100% record. My nose is bleeding from the dizzy heights we have reached and I am enjoying my Saturdays again. Every game we play we feel we have a chance, something that was not the case in the Prem and although it should have been in the Championship was not for the last season and a half. Plus Pardew has yet to get a win, thanks to a very late Stockport equaliser yesterday. If I was Pards, I would look at the fans and blame it on them.

But enough of him and his failures, enough will be written about him in a couple of weeks. I just hope that the Saints get the same treatment that the last returning manager to the Valley received.

Whenever a club fails, as we have in recent years, every body has to take a share of the blame. The board, the manager, the players, the staff and, yes, even us the fans. But this applies when the Club goes through a period of success. For each of these groups the degree of their contribution varies. Arguably over the period since Curbs left the board has been most culpable, but over the last 18 months the finger firmly points at Pardew. What is not known is the contribution of the backroom staff and more specifically Phil Parkinson. What we do know is he has said some of the right things, indicating he was not entirely on Pardews wave length – Lack of centre half cover at the beginning of last season, too early use of Wagstaff ruining his confidence and the inference that loan players are not better than having your own.

If we had our way, Parkie would not be here now. In previous blogs, I have both supported him and called for his departure. Its not hard to build the case against him, upto August this year and to be honest it is quite likely if the takeover had gone through in May, we could be sitting pondering on the performance of Paul Ince. Many suspect that Parkie is here because we have no money. It has been stated that board members have said that Parkie would go when the takeover was completed, back before the “barbecue summer” took off.

People succeed in life because they have ability and skill for whatever it is that they have chosen to follow. They also succeed because they are in the right place at the right time and because when the opportunity comes their way they grab the opportunity by the scruff of the neck and go for it. Parkie has gone for it.

Despite the poor performances under his tutelage, the failure of the board to ever announce that he is the manager, the lack of transfer funds last season, the lack of transfer funds throughout the summer, the questioning of his formation, use of bailey on the wing despite all of this he seems to be on track, he seems to have got the players playing for the shirt, not for themselves and not for a move but for us the fans, each other and the team.

It is easier to build team spirit when we are performing and the next test for Parkie is to pick the team up after a single defeat and then after a sequence of defeats.

It is early days, the fans are warming to Parkie but it is a fragile warmth and the baggage of Pardew and relegation leaves many fans wary of giving Parkie un conditional support in the way Reed and Pards received. The lack of support for Parkie, financial and vocal, from whatever board is in charge leaves him vulnerable to fan attack after our current run becomes more challenging, after we pick up a few injuries.

Parkie reminds me of another Charlton manager, who was not fully accepted by the fans for different reasons, he was appointed over a Charlton legend. On Charlton Life the question has been asked has “Parkie found his level or engineered his team”, and “Parky or Curbs”, is Parky becoming a legend.It is early day’s given his own hand to play, Parkie has made a good fist of his role so far this season, he is no Curbs yet and I am not sure he will be with us in 15 months let alone 15 years, but I believe he is the best thing we have going for us for now and win, draw or lose over the next few months he has done enough to deserve our whole hearted support and, if he gets promotion, then the backing he needs to build us in the Championship, not the sack for a more experienced and successful championship manager as some have suggested.

This has been a successful season so far, it could turn into a disaster - but if it does then I don't think its going to be Parkies fault!!!

I also think a telling point is that no Charlton player seems to be agitating for a move. If they had no belief or respect for Parkinson - or obviously an out-and-out dislike of him - they would be trying to move on.

...and he's made the first tentative step towards that legend status...he has given us a new club record to cheer, with five straight wins at the beginning of the season in the league.Let's hope those grins stay and grow...